Saving the "library of life"

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Biodiversity loss is a critical global issue threatening ecosystems.
• Future generations may benefit from preserved biological resources.
• Current ex situ preservation methods have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a broad program for cryogenically preserving species from threatened ecospheres.
• To assess the feasibility and potential costs of large-scale species cryopreservation.
• To highlight the potential for future biotechnological applications, including species resurrection.

Main Methods:

• Sampling species from threatened ecospheres with a low sampling fraction (10^-6).
• Utilizing local labor for cost-effective species collection.
• Cryogenic suspension of collected species for long-term preservation.

Main Results:

• Estimated cost of preserving tropical rainforest species for a century is approximately $2 billion.
• Cryopreservation can save more than just DNA, preserving high-content information for biotechnology.
• This approach complements in situ and other ex situ preservation methods.

Conclusions:

• A broad program of species cryopreservation is a viable strategy to safeguard biodiversity.
• Cost-effective methods, including local labor and reduced sampling, make this proposal more accessible.
• Preserved genetic material holds potential for future biotechnological advancements and the revival of extinct species.